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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
After hearing that some businesses that had purchased this insurance were getting denied, Thompson and the other signers wrote the below letter to help the businesses get these claims filled so they can remain solvent throughout closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The letter was signed by Representatives Ken Calvert (CA-42), Anna Eshoo (CA-18), Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32), Mike Thompson (CA-05), Adam B. Schiff (CA-28), Jim Costa (CA-16), Doris Matsui (CA-06), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Jackie, Speier (CA-14), Tom McClintock (CA-04), Judy Chu (CA-27), Ami Bera (CA-07), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Tony Cardenas (CA-29), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36), Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Ted W. Lieu (CA-33), Norma J. Torres (CA-35), Nanette Diaz Barragan (CA-44), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Gilbert R. Cisneros, JR. (CA-39), TJ Cox (CA-21), Josh Harder (CA-10), Mike Levin (CA-49), Katie Porter (CA-45) and a copy is attached.
March 31, 2020
Commissioner Ricardo Lara
Insurance Commissioner
300 Capitol Mall, 17th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Commissioner Lara:
We urge you to exercise all authority to ensure the insurance companies comply with their business interruption policies. During this crisis, we must do everything possible to mitigate the devastating impact on small businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As you know, many businesses have in good faith purchased and paid for business interruption insurance to cover the loss of business income sustained due to a necessary suspension of the business operations. However some insurers are choosing to deny these business interruption claims and not uphold their responsibility to help cover these insured losses. Without immediate action to address the denial of business interruption insurance claims, many businesses like our local restaurants, hotels, bars, small tourist shops and countless other businesses that are staples of our local communities will simply never resume service. California in particular has been battered year after year by earthquakes and fires and small businesses have not fully recovered from those previous disasters.
The coronavirus poses significant challenges to many small businesses and we are urging you to exercise all authority to have insurance companies comply with their business interruption insurance to cover losses caused by a California statewide business shutdown ordered to prevent the spread of coronavirus. During this crisis, we must do what it takes to work together to help our small businesses survive and recover. We appreciate your strong support to help California small business owners remain solvent during the coronavirus pandemic and keep employees on payroll until things stabilize.
Thank you for your leadership attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to working with you until this crisis is resolved.
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- Written by: California Department of Insurance
The data will help state policymakers to understand the scope of insured and uninsured losses to businesses in order to help them recover and keep workers employed.
“The coronavirus crisis is devastating small businesses across our state, throwing people out of work and quickly unraveling our economy,” Commissioner Lara said. “Although many small businesses maintain commercial multi-peril insurance policies with business interruption coverage, they will have large uninsured losses. We are currently working with the insurance industry and business groups to find creative solutions during this unprecedented crisis to make sure our businesses survive, and we need this data to define the size of the problem.”
Commissioner Lara called on the insurance industry to assist small businesses facing layoffs and lost income due to business closures and government actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Insurance company responses to the data call are due by April 9, 2020, and will help the Department understand the number and scope of commercial business interruption type coverages in effect and the approximate number of policies that exclude viruses such as COVID-19. This data will help inform state policymakers on solutions to protect businesses.
The department has posted answers to “Frequently Asked Questions” for businesses to help determine whether they have coverage for lost income due to government-ordered closures.
Commercial multi-peril policies may include coverage for business interruption, however, most have exclusions related to virus contamination and similar perils.
Business owners should check their policy for a specific exclusion for viral/bacterial contamination or an incident triggered by an epidemic/pandemic, which means insurance would likely not cover losses related to COVID-19.
The department will continue to work with the governor, State Legislature, and local leaders on creative ways to help address the urgent need of California’s small businesses.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
“At this time, the Savings Bank South Ukiah and Redwood Valley Banking Center lobbies are closed through April 30, 2020, as part of our adjustments to operations due to the local health concerns, however, the drive-up machines are available at these locations,” said Denise Roumbanis, chief operations officer. “Regrettably we are unable to continue to offer Saturday banking at this time. We will reinstate this service as soon as possible.”
Savings Bank has social distancing practices in place at the locations that are open and they encourage you to use their drive-up and electronic services.
For the well-being of all, they ask that you do not come into the bank if you have a fever or a cough or have been potentially exposed to COVID-19.
Savings Bank of Mendocino County will provide the most current information about Bank operations and services on their website, www.savingsbank.com and on their Facebook and Instagram pages as necessary. T
Bank officials thank the community for its patience and cooperation during this time.
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- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
“Environmental compliance is much less expensive than the penalties for cultivation-related violations,” said Jeremy Valverde, CDFW’s acting cannabis program director. “The state is here to help commercial cannabis cultivators of all sizes navigate the regulatory process. Cultivators can call or email regulatory staff to learn more about state requirements or attend a permitting workshop, when they are scheduled later this year.”
Under Fish and Game Code, section 12025, civil penalties can be ordered against a landowner or occupant who has violated one or more environmental laws in conjunction with cannabis cultivation.
Fines are per day and include up to $8,000 for each unpermitted water diversion and up to $20,000 for each instance where harmful materials may discharge into waters.
Both licensed and unlicensed cultivators can be charged. Since 2016, CDFW has filed 10 administrative complaints against 10 cultivators. In September 2019, a trial judge ordered a landowner liable for his tenants’ actions and upheld a penalty of over $680,000.
With CDFA’s new citation authority, illegal cultivators can face fines of up to $30,000 per day, per violation of commercial cannabis laws.
Failure to get a license or obey environmental regulations can result in civil penalties and possible licensing actions against the commercial cannabis license. In most cases, a person engaging in illegal commercial cannabis activity can face civil penalties of up to three times the amount of what an actual cannabis license costs, ranging from $3,615 to $233,715 per day.
The State Water Board’s Cannabis Cultivation Policy requires that commercial cannabis cultivators obtain regulatory approvals and follow certain principles and guidelines in order to protect water quality and stream flows.
Civil penalties of up to $5,000 per day can be levied for illegal waste discharges to streams, lakes or groundwater, and penalties up to $500 per day plus $2,500 per acre-foot can be assessed for illegally diverting or using water.
Additional penalties can be assessed for operating a cultivation site in a manner that does not adequately protect the environment, in violation of the requirements described in the Cultivation Policy.
Those seeking more information about current regulatory requirements can view presentations from a recent online workshop at www.wildlife.ca.gov/cannabispermitting or attend one of the cannabis cultivation permitting workshops that will be scheduled later this year.
Workshop locations and times will be announced on CDFA, CDFW and State Water Board websites as soon as they’re scheduled. In addition, cultivators can email or call any agency with their questions; please see the contact information listed below.
To learn more about CDFW’s cannabis program, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/cannabis or email
For information on the state’s cannabis cultivation licensing process and the California Cannabis Track-and-Trace Metrc System, please visit the CDFA CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing Division website at calcannabis.cdfa.ca.gov, call 833-CALGROW or 833-225-4769, or send an email to
To learn more about the State Water Board’s role in cannabis cultivation permitting, please visit www.waterboards.ca.gov/cannabis .
For permitting and compliance assistance, email